“Craft” and variations of it, is a buzzword that has dominated menus for several years now and doesn’t seem to be going away. From beer to cocktails to coffee to pizza to sandwiches, everything seems to be “crafted” these days. No one simply “makes” anything anymore. I guess that’s the appeal of the word “craft” — the implication being that, like an Old World maker of fine leather goods, some extraordinary passion, painstaking detail and commitment to quality, has gone into making your beer or cocktails or coffee or pizza or sandwiches. “Craft” also suggests a certain high level of execution, but of course, it all goes bad when “craftsmanship” is poor. Perhaps the beer tastes like stale PBR, the coffee gives you bitter beer face, the cocktails taste like Hi-C, the pizza’s crust is burnt, and the sandwich is looks like it was constructed by a third-grader. — Gerald “Dex” Poindexter, publicist, avid diner (Twitter @SuperdinerDex)

For me the most annoying food terms are either “farm-to-table” and “pan-seared” !!! Now, I hate to admit it but I used the term pan-seared (and every other cooking techniques) on my menus years ago (I didn’t speak much English though). I typed my own menus, and yes, I sucked at it. Farm-to-table? I get it already, we now have farms in San Diego, yahoo! Are we gonna meet the farmers before dinner, too? I go to restaurants to have, preferably, a good meal, I am really happy to find out that my food comes from a good source but if the restaurant is mediocre or pretentious with poor service then you can get your lettuce and veggies from Chernobyl, who cares? — Fabrice Poigin, private chef, restaurant consultant

“Craft.” There’s craft beer, craft cocktails, and craft burgers. And, to me, that’s “craft’s” limit. Well, except, for Craft & Commerce, which I adore. “Craft” works here because it conveys a level of expertise by the bartender or chef. It hasn’t been as overworked as other terms such as “artisanal.” Is there a food product that hasn’t been dubbed “artisanal”? Bread, cheese, coffee, pizza, salads, sandwiches, oil, vinegar, granola, caramel sauce, hummus, it goes on and on and on. Yes, it conveys that the product is artsy and hipster, but, oh, do we need a fresh synonym. — Susan Russo, food writer, cookbook author (Twitter @Susan_Russo)

When thinking back on terms that have been over-used on menus and by local wait staff when describing dishes; “fresh”, “on a bed of”, “fusion”and “artisanal” top my list. Although these words help to create mental images of what the dish could be, most of those concepts have been altered from their original definition based on our experiences in restaurants. — David Salisbury, a law firm’s director of business development, avid diner

“Farm-to-table” – In theory all produce comes from a farm (even hydroponic veggies are farmed, right?). Unless you’re growing it, picking it up from the farm, or having it delivered directly to your restaurant, as say Suzie’s Farm does, it isn’t farm-to-table. More correctly it should be Farm to Distributor to Table (FDT). What does the garden–fresh salad from Olive Garden actual mean? Yes I looked up their menu. “All natural” – This essentially means nothing. Pay it no heed and buy organic. — Andrew Spurgin, consulting chef and event architect, andrewspurgin.com

So many fit in this category. “Gastropub" - instead let’s just say “delicious but unhealthy”; “fresh”... better be; “local,” I love local for many reasons but how far is too far to be considered local? I have heard everything from 50-300 miles. Whole Foods lists how far their produce comes from, which I would hope to become the norm at restaurants, too. — Randee Stratton, real estate broker, avid diner